The move aims to attract billionaire travelers as part of the province's goal to reach 19 million visitors this year, including 3.5 million international tourists.
The Ha Long Bay management board has been tasked with identifying these exclusive areas, and surveys are set to begin next week. While Ha Long Bay is home to around 200 sandbanks, only Ti Top Island’s beach currently welcomes tourists, often leading to overcrowding during peak seasons.
In March last year, the management board proposed opening the Tra San-Cong Do beaches to visitors. The area boasts eight beaches spanning up to 800 m2, with four accessible all day, unaffected by tides. However, the plan has not moved forward due to regulatory and planning hurdles.
Nguyen Thi Hanh, vice chairwoman of Quang Ninh, on Thursday emphasized the need to expedite the use of Soi Sim, Hang Co and Trinh Nu beaches in Ha Long Bay. She also called for the development of plans to host artistic performances in some of the Bay’s caves.
In the first nine months of this year, Quang Ninh welcomed 15.6 million visitors, a 20% increase from the same period last year, achieving 98% of its nine-month target. Tourism revenue hit VND37 trillion ($1.49 billion), a 39% rise compared to 2023. International arrivals reached 2.6 million, with most tourists coming from markets like China, South Korea, India and France.
For the final quarter, Quang Ninh’s tourism sector expects to welcome 3.4 million more visitors, including 909,000 from overseas.